CJFST.2025.17.1.11

Impact of consumer handling on bacteriological quality of orange and red grape juices: A preliminary laboratory-based study

Oluwawapelumi A. Oyedele1, Kolawole I. Ayeni1, Whitney E. Okuma1, Muiz O. Akinyemi2,3, Oluwadamilola M. Makinde1,2,4, Obinna T. Ezeokoli2, https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3222-4722Tihomir Kovač5,6, Rasheed A. Adeleke2,
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2113-2948Chibundu N. Ezekiel1,6*

1Department of Microbiology, Babcock University, Ilishan Remo, Ogun State, 121103, Nigeria
2Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, 2520, South Africa
3Nuffield Centre for International Health and Development, Leeds Institute of Health Sciences, University of Leeds, Woodhouse, Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
4Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Caleb University, Imota, Lagos State, Nigeria
5Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Faculty of Food Technology, Department of Applied Chemistry and Ecology, Franje Kuhača 18, 31000, Osijek, Croatia
6BOKU University, Vienna, Department of Agricultural Sciences, Institute of Bioanalytics and Agro-Metabolomics, Konrad-Lorenz-Str. 20, 3430 Tulln, Austria

ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT
TYPE: Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.17508/CJFST.2025.17.1.10
PDF

This study examined if the direct consumption of fruit juices from the juice packs, at intervals and irrespective of storage conditions between the consumption, could predispose fruit juices to bacterial contamination and consumers to health risks. The test group consumed either orange or red grape juices directly from the juice pack at 3-h intervals for a 6-h drinking regime, while storing the juices at ambient conditions or 4 °C. Control juice had no direct contact with the consumer’s mouth. Total bacterial counts (TBC) in the juices consumed directly from the packs and stored at ambient temperature were higher than TBC observed in the juice samples of one consumer. The 16S rRNA sequencing analysis of selected isolates revealed potentially pathogenic bacteria sharing similarities with Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, B. atrophaeus, B. cereus, B. subtilis, and B. tequilensis. Some of the identified strains exhibited amylase and hemolytic potentials in vitro, while eae gene, coding for adherence factors mostly in Escherichia coli, was detected in one strain of B. amyloliquefaciens in this study. Consumers are advised to pour juices into pre-washed cups before the consumption, and to store leftovers at 4 °C or even lower.

*CORRESPONDENCE
Chibundu N. Ezekiel
chaugez@gmail.com
ARTICLE HISTORY
Received:April 22, 2025
Accepted: June 5, 2025
CITATION
Oyedele OA, Ayeni KI, Okuma WE, Akinyemi MO, Makinde OM, Ezeokoli OT, Kovač T, Adeleke RA, Ezekiel CN. Impact of consumer handling on bacteriological quality of orange and red grape fruit juices: A preliminary laboratory-based study. Croatian Journal of Food Science and Technology (2025) 17 (1) 166-176
COPYRIGHT: © 2024 by the author(s). This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY).
KEYWORDS

Bacillus spp; consumer handling; food consumption; food safety

KEY CONTRIBUTION

Potentially pathogenic bacteria belonging to Bacillus spp. recovered from fruit juice after consumer handling. Fruit juice consumed directly from a juice pack and stored at ambient temperature may pose a food safety risk to consumers.